KIOWA Most folks carry a bit of their upbringing with them — a touch of accent or attitude. But Karen Ross harbors a whole houseful of her Texas roots, from vintage Bates camp blankets to old cowboy scarves to the silver-studded parade saddle that belonged to her father, a Houston rancher and jeweler.

And that's appropriate. For Ross is the entrepreneur behind Prairie Karen, a purveyor of all things Old West, from fine art to antique horse tack. Most of her business is done online or at trunk shows, although this time of year, she also opens a seasonal shop in nearby Elizabeth.

Monday found her at her kitchen counter, gazing out at the corral. Pacing the dirt were the four horses she owns with her husband,

The kitchen bar chairs in Ross' home are horse-inspired. The couple own four horses among their menagerie.
Wally, a former University of Colorado professor and competitive bicyclist. Beyond the paddock were miles of tawny winter grass and the ranchland of the Bijou Basin.

"This is certainly not a place where when you're out of milk you run to the grocery store," Ross said. "But I've always loved this life. I don't want to trade it for anything."

Ross launched Prarie Karen seven years ago. Her two children from a previous marriage were grown, and she wanted a business that could lasso her love of Western objects.

Her house also reflects that passion, from its location to the décor. It sits on 80 acres southeast of Kiowa, 7 miles up a winding gravel road off Colorado 86 — one of those "first mailbox on your left and up the hill" addresses.

The house's exterior is plain, a light brown like the winter landscape. With 1,400 square feet on the main level and a functional basement, it sits on a small rise in a copse of pine trees. The elevated porches command southwest vistas.

But walk inside, and the house is tricked out like a showroom, or a small cowboy museum, for that matter. Ross' business motto is "a touch of Western elegance." That ethos is mirrored in the house.

The first

The living room in the home of Karen Ross, who owns and operates Prairie Karen gallery shop in Elizabeth. She was at her home near Kiowa on Monday, November 28, 2011. The space is full of equestrian artwork. Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post (THE DENVER POST | Cyrus McCrimmon)
thing you encounter is a coat rack bedecked with a half-dozen tooled-leather purses, ranging from small clutches to outright handbags. Topping the rack is her prize hat, a striking moss-green number with scarlet piping and hatband, plus blocked in the Montana style.

Like so much in Ross' life, it comes with a story.

"It's from the Rocky Mountain Hat Co. in Bozeman, Montana," she said. "The hatmaker originally didn't want to build it for me, said the color was ugly. But when he was making it, he kept getting compliments on it. Now he's selling a bunch in this color."

You next encounter her father's saddle. Made with tooled black leather and silver trim in the Southern California parade style, it echoes the fancy

The kitchen space in the home of Karen Ross, who owns and operates Prairie Karen gallery shop in Elizabeth. She was at her home near Kiowa on Monday, November 28, 2011. The space is full of equestrian artwork. Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post (THE DENVER POST | Cyrus McCrimmon)
saddles of Mexican vaqueros. Dating from the 1940s, it was a gift to Ross' late dad during his Houston days.

"That's one thing I really treasure," she said. She pulled back a small flap of tooled leather to expose the saddlemaker's imprint: Chas. Castillo. Los Angeles, Calif.

The dining-room table was once a door to an old Southwestern church. A wide-screen TV by the gas fireplace sits atop a weathered blue cabinet. The walls are decorated with photo-realistic pencil drawings of ranch life by artist Karmel Timmons.

Muted colors dominate the palette, including the ivory-cream walls.

Ross is also a fan of vintage "wild rags," cowboy-ese for scarves, both functional and dressy. Hers are secured with

My House story about the home of Karen Ross, who owns and operates Prairie Karen gallery shop in Elizabeth. She was at her home near Kiowa on Monday, November 28, 2011 with horses Ozanna, left and R.J. center. Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post (THE DENVER POST | Cyrus McCrimmon)
a silver slide embossed with "Prairie Karen."

She sells the scarves, too. "I want to sell this to the lady who can put this on and push cattle and then wear it with a cashmere sweater in downtown Denver or New York City," Ross said.

"I'm not into bling," she said. "I like simple but beautiful pieces. We've decorated the house over time. We didn't want to go out and create instant décor. The search takes on a life of its own."

Not everything is vintage. Take the handsome living-room sideboard, a rustic oak number that houses a small but choice array of adult beverages. Turns out it's from Pottery Barn.

The couple bought the house four years ago after spying it on a horseback ride. "It was under construction, just framed out," Ross said. "From a distance we thought it was just a dilapidated old place."

Closer inspection proved the contrary. They bought the place and finished it, converting two of the upstairs bedrooms into an office.

Like many ranches, their place is a small menagerie. Along with the horses, the Rosses have a golden retriever and Belgian sheepdog, five barn cats and two Nigerian goats, Waylon and Willie. A few Angus cattle are usually pastured, though this year's herd is already sold.

Other animals show up, notably coyotes and elk. Then there was the time 40 head of bison came thundering down the road after breaching their fence at a neighboring ranch.

"That was scary," Ross said. "I'm just glad we weren't out on the road. They'll run over anything in their path, including a vehicle."

Along with her online site (prairie karen.com) and trunk shows, Ross operates a Prarie Karen seasonal shop in Elizabeth during the holidays. It's 15 miles from her house, at 796 E. Kiowa Ave. in a strip center off Colorado 86. Open through Dec. 24, it is closed Sundays.

But the house and the land are the center of her life.

Out by the corral, nuzzled by two horses — R.J. and Ozanna (named by a little girl who couldn't pronounce "O, Suzanna") — Ross surveyed the landscape in the noon light. An earlier pall of clouds had given way to blue sky. The wind was up, as it so often is in the Bijou Basin.

"We feel fortunate to be able to live out here," Ross said. "Isn't it just amazing?"

William Porter: 303-954-1877 or wporter@denverpost.com